Fish4homes.co.uk, the property Web site associated with This Is Oxfordshire, has announced that it will allocate up to 20 per cent of its share capital, free of charge, to estate agents who place their properties on to the site.

Thousands of estate agents whose properties already appear on Fish4homes will be eligible for shares immediately. Furthermore, the offer will apply to agents who register with the Fish4homes service before the end of May this year.

Fish4homes has stressed that it is not tied to any financial products or organisations and so offers estate agents an independent online platform on which to advertise their properties. "We are committed to working in partnership with estate agents," commented Jonathan Turpin, chief executive of Fish4. "This share offering will give them a substantial share in the value of the business being created. Our aim is help estate agents find new buyers and sellers. We do this by providing a simple, easy-to-use service for consumers that delivers the most comprehensive choice of properties from the widest range of estate agents."

As part of the Fish4 network of sites, Fish4homes attracts users from across its family of sites which includes Fish4news, Fish4cars, Fish4jobs, Fish4shopping, as well as its 104 local news and information sites, including This Is Oxfordshire.

Fish4homes' technical infrastructure ensures that estate agents get their properties to the consumer quickly and efficiently. "Fish4 is working hard to ensure that estate agents can remain competitive in the e-future," said Gifford Sutherland, publisher of Fish4homes. "As well as gaining the benefits of leading-edge technology, agents will benefit substantially from our 20m marketing commitment across the Fish4 businesses".

Through this offer, Fish4homes aims to consolidate its position as one of the UK's biggest database of properties for sale or rent online. With rapidly expanding traffic, the Fish4homes site now enjoys 180,000 visits each month and carries information on over 110,000 homes - the equivalent to a quarter of all residential properties for sale in the UK.